An active school model to promote physical activity in elementary schools: Action schools! BC
- 1School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- 2Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- 3School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- 4Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- 5Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Dr Heather McKay, Centre for Hip Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, 302–2647 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 3P1; heather.mckay{at}ubc.ca
- Accepted 7 January 2008
- Published Online First 13 February 2008
Abstract
Objective: To assess the impact of an active school model on children’s physical activity (PA).
Design: 16-month cluster randomised controlled trial.
Setting: 10 elementary schools in Greater Vancouver, BC.
Participants: 515 children aged 9–11 years.
Intervention: Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) is an active school model that provided schools with training and resources to increase children’s PA. Schools implemented AS! BC with support from either external liaisons (liaison schools, LS; four schools) or internal champions (champion schools, CS; three schools). Outcomes were compared with usual practice (UP) schools (three schools).
Main outcome measurements: PA was measured four times during the study using pedometers (step count, steps/day).
Results: Boys in the LS group took 1175 more steps per day, on average, than boys in the UP group (95% CI: 97 to 2253). Boys in the CS group also tended to have a higher step count than boys in the UP group (+804 steps/day; 95% CI: −341 to 1949). There was no difference in girls’ step counts across groups.
Conclusions: The positive effect of the AS! BC model on boys’ PA is important in light of the current global trend of decreased PA.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: None.
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Funding: We acknowledge funding support from the British Columbia Ministry of Health, 2010 Legacies Now, British Columbia Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts and the Provincial Health Services Authority. HMM’s postdoctoral studies are supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement grant). HAMcK is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health research senior scholar.
